Roving K9 injured in latest escapade

Friday

Jun 6, 2014 at 3:14 PMJun 6, 2014 at 3:30 PM

By Brian Lee TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WEBSTER — Police dog Radar is recovering from upper spinal swelling or a head injury he suffered when he apparently jumped out a window of his handler's SUV in the police station parking lot Wednesday night, police said.

Officers are optimistic the dog will recover and "be able to live a good life."

Asked if the Dutch shepherd's career with the department would continue after his recovery, Police Chief Timothy J. Bent said it is too soon to tell.

"I don't know if he gets back to police work, to be honest with you," the chief said Friday.

Radar's head hit the pavement when he leaped out of the SUV, Officer Aaron Suss, the dog's handler, said on Facebook.

The chief said, "Officer Suss found him underneath the bridge at Memorial Bridge Drive. He was just lying there in a pool of blood. We took him to Tufts (Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Grafton) two days ago. They ran some tests on him."

Officer Suss said on the social media site that the dog, which joined the department in the fall of 2010 after he was raised by the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office breeding program, likes to pound on the sliding door to his kennel.